Last chapter we talked about contractions in the present tense with the verb is. But this is not the only way we can use contractions. Oh, no. It's used in all different verb forms and even with particular words too. You've seen these all before for sure.
Have is a big key player in these contractions. Let me show you:
I have ➡ I've
You have ➡ You've
We have ➡ We've
They have ➡ They've
Now, you've probably noticed that He and She wasn't a part of that list. It's because they never use the word Have; they use Has.
He has ➡ He's
She has ➡ She's
You might say to yourself: "Wait a minute. That looks exactly the same as the contractions for He is and She is!" And to that I say: Yup. They look exactly the same.
He has ➡ He's
He is ➡ He's
She has ➡ She's
She is ➡ She's
This isn't nearly as confusing as it looks though. The context of the sentence will give you all the information you need. Example:
He's been with her for over three years now.
Don't you think he's being a bit of a dick?
The first example uses He has while the second uses He is. Context is key here, people.
Have doesn't just combine with people, nope, it can be combined with other words too. Should, could, would and must are examples of this.
Should have ➡ Should've
Could have ➡ Could've
Would have ➡ Would've
Must have ➡ Must've
Of course, I can't list every contraction known to mankind in this book, so it's something you'll have to look into more on your own. I will however leave you with this monstrosity: y'all'should've
See you next time!
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The Fanfic Bible
FanfictionA guide on how to make your stories more enjoyable to read. Everything from language, common mistakes and the story itself, ranging from plot to characters. Remember that writing is a skill and only practice makes perfect, this is only meant to help...
